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DISCOURSE 



OCCASIONED BY THE 



PROCLAMATION OF PEACE 



BETWEEN 



GREAT BRITAIN 



AND 



THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

PREACHED ON LORD'S DAY, 26th FEBRUARY, 1815, 



AND 



PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. 



BY THOMAS WILLIAMS. 

Minister of ihe Pacifick Congregational Church and Socifty in Providtnce^ 



PROVIDENCE: 
PRINTED BY H. MANN AND CO. 



March, 1815, 




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3 O S * r' 



A DISCOURSE 



Isaiah, ii. 4. 

Theij shall beat their sicords into plough- shares , and 
their spears into pruning hooks ; nation shall not 
lift up sword against natioriy neither shall they 
learn war any more. 

THE prophet declared, that what is foretokl in 
the text and context, '^ shall come to pass in the last 
days." Tlie last days signify, without any question, 
the times of the Messiah. The period, then, which 
is intended by the last days, began, when the Lord 
Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, and was exalted 
as ^^ the head over all things to the church." Some 
part of the prediction, which includes our text, was 
doubtless accomplished in the calling of the Gentiles 
to the knowledge and worship of the true God, and 
the great success of the gospel in the days of the 
apostles. But it has been justly observed — "There 
needs no other proof, that the grand accomplishment 
of this prophecy is reserved for some future period, 
than the consideration, that notliing, in any measure 
answerable to such forcible expressions, has yet oc- 



\ 



curred on earth.''* As yet, events liave been so dif- 
ferent from what is here foretold, that multitudes, 
with the scriptures in their hands, hardly imagine, 
that the joyful scenes described by the prophet, will 
ever be realized in this evil world. But the God of 
truth, who speaks and it is done, has said respecting 
the nations of the earth, "they shall beat their 
swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pru- 
ning-hooks ; nation shall not lift up sword against 
nation, neither shall they learn war any more." 
This divine declaration places before us the follow- 
ing sentiment ;— -Though war has existed in past 
ages, yet, in a future period, it shall wholly cease 
to exist. 

To illustrate this sentiment, it is proposed, 

I. To consider the existence of war in past ages ; 

II. To enquire how it appears, that war shall, at 
some future period, wholly cease to exist ; and, 

III. To show in what way war shall cease to ex- 
ist among all nations. It is proposed, 

I. To consider the existence of war in past ages. 
And respecting its existence, it may be observed, 

1. That v/ar has existed in all past ages and 
among all nations. Concerning the early ages of 
the world we have no authentick history, but what 
is contained in the scriptures. Though the scriptu- 
ral account of events be very concise, yet, from some 
facts which it records, there is reason to conclude 
that war existed before the flood. Those persons, 
who are called giants, and their descendants, who 
became mighty men and men of renown, were prob- 

« Scott. 



ably distinguished by their I exploits as chieftains, 
warriours and couquerours. Nimrod, who lived soou 
after the flood, was, without any doubt, a warriour ; 
and, by his martial achievements, he brought under 
his subjection an extensive kingdom. In the time 
of Abraham, many kings were engaged in making 
war. To d diver Lot, who was taken captive in one 
of their wars, Abraham " armed his trained servants, 
born in his own house, tlnee hundred and eighteen." 
When Esau went to meet Jacob, he took with him 
four hundred men. These facts afford abundant ev- 
idence of the existence of war in the early ages of 
the world. If war had not very commonly existed, 
and if there had not been constant danger of its ex- 
istence, it cannot be supposed ,that Esau could have 
commanded, on such an occasion, an army of four 
hundred men : nor would the hundreds of Abra- 
ham's servants, have been trained to bear arms. 
Since tlie time of the patriarchs, both sacred and 
profane history are chiefly employed in giving an ac- 
count of the wars, that have existed among the na- 
tions of the earth. And it is believed, that tbere has 
yet been known no nation or people, that was whol- 
ly unacquainted with the existence and the evils of 
war. It has existed among such nations, as profes- 
sed to know and v/orship the true God, as well as 
among the heathens. It has existed among civiliz- 
ed nations, as well as among savages. Nor has there 
often been a period of the smallest duration, in which 
war did not exist in some part of the earth. In all 
tables of chronology, it is noted as a remarkable event, 
that, about the time the Lord Jesue Christ was born. 



o» 



tLe temple of Janus was shut by Augustus, as aa 
emblem of universal peace. This fact shows, that war 
has generally and almost continually existed amon 
the nations. At the beginning of the last year, all tha 
kingdoms and states of Christendom were involved 
in war. It may, then, be truly asserted, that war 
has existed in all past ages and among all nations. 

S. War has generally employed and frequently 
exhausted the strength of nations. In the policy of 
all nations, warlike designs and achievements have 
been a principal object. In many nations all the de- 
signs and measures of government have been adapt- 
ed to military purposes. In some states children 
and youth have been taught the art of war, as the 
essential and most important article in their educa- 
tion. Civil governments have frequently required 
all their subjects, who were capable of the service, 
to be regularly trained to bear arms. Almost all 
nations, even in times of peace, have maintained 
standing armies at an immense expense. Heavier 
taxes have been imposed, and larger portions of 
property expended for military purposes, than for 
all other objects, that have been proposed and pur- 
sued by civil governments. It has been calculated, 
that the expenses of existing wars for the year, that 
ended on the ninth of September 1813, amounted to 
1^,260,000,000 of dollars, --''he expenses of Great- 
Jlritain for that year, on account of war, have been, 
computed at 440,000,000 of dollars ; and <^f France 
and her tributaries at 620,000,000 of dollars.* The 

« For these statements, frrateful acknowledgement is due to a writer i.i 
the Panoplist, for November 1813, and April 1814 It is to be des.red. 
that the subject of war may be more largely considered m that usetul pub- 
lication. 






expenses of war, during the year in view, were 
doubtless extraordinary. Yet the expenses of war, 
in many other years, have been nearly as great. 
And national expenses for military purposes have 
always been enormous. Besides the money, that is 
raised for military purposes, the expenses occasioned 
by wars in other respects, both to communities and 
individuals, defy all computation. Nations, then, 
have generally employed and frequently exhausted 
the strength of their pecuniary resources for the pur- 
poses of war. 

Nor have they less employed and exhausted their 
strength in other respects for the same purposes. 
This would be evident from a correct statement res- 
pecting the vast number of men, who have been for- 
med into armies and engaged in military expeditions. 
In the ten tribes of Israel, Jeroboam had an army of 
800,000. Zera, the Ethiopean, came against Asa 
with 1,000,000. Jehosaphat had in his kingdom 
1,200,000 warriours. The army, with which Xerxes 
invaded Greece, according to Herodotus, amounted 
to 2,100,000. It has been computed, that, for five 
years, Bonaparte had, on an average, 1,000,000 of 
men under arms. Besides the men in arms, he must 
have had a vast number, who were otherwise em- 
ployed for military purposes. If, then, we consider 
the number, who have been formed into armies and 
ensased in martial concerns, it must appear, that 
war has employed and exhausted the strength of 
nations. 

But we must also take into the account, tlie mul- 
titudes, who have been devoured by the sword. In 



S 011 837 094 6^ 

A single engagement ftt Thennopylfc, tlie Persians 
are said to have lost 20,000. In the battle of Can- 
nae, 45,000 Romans were left on the field. In the 
battles between Benjamin and the other tribes of 
Israel 65,000 men were slain. At Arbela, the Per- 
sian army was I'outed by Alexander, with the loss 
of 300,000. In a battle between Jeroboam and 
Abijah, " there fell down slain of Israel, 500,000 
chosen men." Caisar is stated to have slain of his 
enemies 1,19^,000. Ghengis Khan is supposed to 
have destroyed 1 ij000,000, in the last twenty years 
oi his life. 

During the year preceding the ninth of September 
1813, it has been computed, that at least 800,000 
men in the prime of life, were destroyed by the war 
in Europe. By the middle of the year 1812, it was 
computed, that 10,000,000 of the human race had 
fallen victims to the wars, that have existed since 
the commencement of the French revolution. Besides, 
it must be observed, that war destroys and obstructs 
whatever is excellent and desirable in the character 
and condition of nations. Many nations have lost 
by w ar, their virtue, their honour, their happiness, 
and even their existence. It is, then, very evident, 
that in all past ages, nations have generally employ- 
ed and frequently exhausted their strength, in all 
respects, by their wars. 

3. War has always been occasioned by human 
wickedness. If mankind were not sinful and guilty 
creatures, they never would learn and practice the 
art of war ; nor would they be subjected to its evils. 
It is true, that God has, in some instances, required 




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